Howard Tullman Named CEO of Chicago Tech Hub 1871
Tullman, an iconic business
leader in the city, has been appointed to take control of the hub that
has become a focal point for the city’s rapidly developing startup community.
Howard
Tullman / Getty
Chicago’s
leading digital hub, 1871 recently announced that announced Howard Tullman will
be taking up the position of CEO of the high-tech incubator, succeeding.
Kevin Willer, who was in charge of the organization for the past two years but
had to leave his position in June of this year.
The
1871 tech hub operates under the auspices of CEC, a city of Chicago financed non-profit
organization whose role is to support, promote and generally encourage the
growth of the rapidly developing startup community in the city.
According
to a spokesperson for CEC, Howard Tullman’s appointment to take control of the
1871 hub serves as a classic example of what we in the Windy City describe as
“Chicagoness”. Chicagoness is a situation where talented people such as Howard
Tullman who have been the mastermind behind the launching and success of
some of the countries leading organizations have returned home to pass on their
knowledge to the next generation of entrepreneurs to allow the cycle to
continue.
Despite
his busy schedule Howard Tullman has taken on the role of CEO at 1871, as well
as his duties as President and Chief Executive Officer of Flashpoint Academy,
CEO of Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Experiencia, Inc., and President Emeritus of Kendall
College as well as a number of other positions that he holds in Chicago.
The
1871 tech hub first began operating in May of 2012, since when, it has earned
itself the number one niche for providing ground breaking programming,
becoming in the process a local, national and global model of how a
successful tech hub incubator should operate. Since opening its doors 1871 has
provided thousands of hours of individual mentorship from leading entrepreneurs
to budding ones as well as hands-on training and important provision of working
space to allow digital entrepreneurs to get their projects physically off the
ground.
1871
also serves as home to two major national incubators including Tech Stars
Chicago. Currently close to 250 high-tech companies operate out of 1871, having
drawn a total of $40 million in investment capital, as well as creating close
to 1000 jobs, making for a substantial contribution to Chicago’s economy.
Headquartered
in a 50,000-square-foot facility within the central Merchandise Mart, 1871 is
the flagship project of the CEC, a non-profit organization committed to
supporting the spirit of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in the city of
Chicago.
Accepting
the position Howard Tullman pointed out that there’s little doubt that an
entrepreneurial renaissance is taking place within the city of Chicago and 1871
are a major driving force behind the drive which may well see 1871 become
nationally known as a center for entrepreneurship.
“As
a serial entrepreneur for more than 40 years, I can honestly say that there has
been no more exciting time to be part of a startup organization in Chicago than
today.” Mr. Tullman summed up.
Howard
Tullman was born and raised in St. Louis,
Missouri. After the end of World War Two, Howard the oldest of six
siblings, took it upon himself to try and help the family fortunes, doing all
kinds of part-time jobs as well as entertaining at children’s parties by
clicking on magic performances.
In
the mid-50s Tullman and his family moved to Highland Park, Illinois where he
graduated from High School going on to study for his undergraduate degree
at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois graduating Cum Laude with
a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics in 1967.
Howard
then went on to receive his Juris Doctor from Northwestern’s School of Law
graduating with Honors in 1970.